Samsung Galaxy A5 and A3 (2017): here are all known problems and solutions

Technology has its issues. Like all devices, the Galaxy A3 (2017) and A5 (2017) have their share of problems that can sometimes spoil the experience a little. Of course, these devices aren't exploding like the Note 7, but there are some are minor problems which happen to some users. Fortunately, we have the solutions for you here.

The battery drains very quickly

Problem

Several users have reported the following problem on the Galaxy A3 (2017) and A5 (2017): the battery empties in just a few hours. The strength of the A5 being its battery life, it's all the more irritating.

Solution

If the loss of battery life seems really drastic, your phone likely has a defect - because the battery life of the A5 (2017) is well above the average. The A3 (2017) isn't bad either. It normally allows you a full day of use, including social networking, surfing, video and more. But, if you only get a few hours out of it, you've got a problem.

Go into the battery settings to see which applications are consuming the most energy to find the culprit. Some applications can work in the background, and, if they are poorly optimized they can seriously drain your battery.

The fingerprint reader doesn't recognize your fingerprints

Problem

Some fingerprint scanner are quite finicky, but it is difficult to make a generality because several factors come into play: the way you registered your fingerprints, the condition of the finger, and so on. Several users have complained about the fingerprint scanner of the Galaxy A5 (2017), especially my colleague Jessica who had noted a big problem with it in her review.

Solution

In most cases, the problem comes from the user: make sure you have registered the fingerprint from various angles, in the same position as when you try to unlock your phone. This seems silly, but many users simply put their finger on the scanner during configuration, without swiping it correctly. Also, remember to keep your finger dry.

It seems from reports that the A5 (2017) is more affected than the A3 (2017). That said, it is still possible (in theory) that Samsung could offer some kind of an update to fix the problem.

The device does not connect to the computer

Problem

Normally, your computer detects your Galaxy A3 (2017) or A5 (2017) phone when you connect it using a USB cable. But, sometimes the phone is not recognized by your computer.

Solution

First of all, you need to use a quality cable (either from the manufacturer or another reliable brand). If you don't see anything on the screen when you connect the phone, don't panic. Look at your phone: maybe it has detected the connection is prompting you about what to do next. If you still do not get any response from the device, check out the developer options (see how to enable them in this article) and enable USB debugging.

Opinion by Benoit Pepicq

This is a frustrating but usually fixable problem

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The WiFi connection is unstable

Problem

You are connected to the Internet with your Galaxy A3 or A5, and all of a sudden the connection is interrupted. This problem occurs from time to time (and not just on this model). It's difficult to determine the exact origin of the problem with this one.

Solution

Samsung has not communicated anything official about this problem, at least for now. This kind of issue is difficult to diagnose as there are several factors that can cause it. If you are sure that the problem is with the device and not with the connection (which is rather unlikely), check your network configuration and update your apps. Keeping your apps up-to-date to ensures their stability. If the problem persists, leave us a comment.

The touch screen is unresponsive

Problem

The touch screen of the phone leaves something to be desired, and sometimes you get no response from it at all. Navigation is complicated on the Galaxy A3 (2017) or A5 (2017) and sending messages seems to be an impossible mission.

Solution

The problem can be with the device hardware: if you have just received your phone, then it may have a defect, and if it has been dropped, that's another very likely cause of the trouble. It's difficult to do much yourself in this case, so get it repaired.

If the problem is software, simply restarting your phone may be the fix (it worked for me, in any case). If you are a more advanced user, you can try installing another ROM to see if this fixes the problem, but be sure you won't void the warranty first!

Did you encounter any other problems with these devices? Need help? Leave a comment below!

44 comments

I was just given a Samsung A5 for Christmas and I found it so horrendously difficult for what I needed that I just gave up and threw it in the trash. I mean, seriously, am I really expected to read through and learn the whole 125-page online manual just for a portable phone? Computerization is now just making things too difficult, not better. I prefer the old days when nothing was more complex than finding a public phone, opening the door, putting in your coins, and talking into the receiver. It doesn't take 125 pages to explain that, now does it?

Hello, I've had my Galaxy A5 2017 for a couple of days. All is well except the actual telephone only works with the earplugs plugged in. Without there is no sound and the person on the other end can't hear me, but the call time is ticking so there's a connection, and when the speaker is activated, the phone works as normal. Any suggestions why the phone doesn't work as normal? Anything I can do to remedy this?

Hello support team.I have A320F(A3 2017)After Install Last Version Of Android(Android 8.0-Samsung Experience Version 9.0) In All Time (Always):1_The off Pixels On LED Has Ligh and it's Copletely Visable (It's Completely Vasable On Always On Display In Dark Place)2_It's Very Hard To See Movie On Mobile In Dark Place.The Colors Are Mixed Up And Details of the dark sequences of the movie can not be seen.* There were No Problem Before The Install Last Update.The Corresponding ROM Was Manually Installed On The Two similar devices (Two A320F) And Both Of Them Have This Problem.Attached information.Please Answer And Help Me.Thank you.uziaee@gmail.com

Hi, I have the samsung galaxy a5 2017 version the past month or 2 sending & receiving texts has been a hit or miss process. Now the last few days when anyone calls me they tell me my phine echoes. I don't hear it but, they can hear themselves talking. Any idea how to resolve these 2 issues?

messenger does not work correctly. Flashes when trying to make a video call and cannot accept any video calls and screen just continues to flash. Tried re-installing messenger but that did not work. anyone else experiencing this problem?

Hey Paul, I just tested my sensor and it is not working again. If it works rolling back to an older version of Android it probably means that this problem is not related to a Samsung firmware failure, but rather to some incompatibility between the newer android and that firmware. Perhaps we should try and report this issue and information to both Samsung and Google

Have A5 2017 and have problem with wifi signal. Maybe know why. If i lput my second hand on top of phone (viewing internet, watching youtube, playing games etc.) and hold phone with both my hands, the signal is almost imidiately much more worst, sometimes lost. Whe i get hand out, its return to strong signal of wifi. Its really bad and problém with construction. Maybe its only my phone, dont try another one.

i have A5 (2017) over 2 months and sometimes it just turn of and i noticing it when i need to use it and screen is black. Few times pushing all buttons and nothing. Sometimes i feel short vibration when i hold 'turn on' button for few seconds. In the end i hold 'volume down' and 'turn on' buttons for 8-10 sec and it tun on. And today was odd situation, somebody calls me and i take phone and screen is black and cant turn it on, but ring tone is working...

Also i had problems with charging and battery lasted just 1 day with medium power saving, after night 10-20% off, but now after few Android updates, everything works prefect. I don't need to charge battery every day even when i play online games, and don't turn it off by it self.

I have got screen flashing problem, specially when puting brightness to low, it flashes a purple color. also screen wont turn on sometimes and i try to turn it up for few minutes by pressing power button many many times and that is really annoying.

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